'''York County''', created in 1643, is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidewater_region_of_Virginia Tidewater] county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampton_Roads Hampton Roads] region&nbsp;of Southeast [[Virginia]]. It has an area of 106 square miles.<ref name="NACo">[http://www.naco.org/ National Association of Counties]</ref>

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== York County, Virginia Courthouse ==

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== County Courthouse ==

[[Image:{{VAYorkcourthouse}}]]

[[Image:{{VAYorkcourthouse}}]]

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The Records room is open from 8:15 AM to 4:45 PM Monday through Friday and can be contacted by calling (757) 890-4103.

The Records room is open from 8:15 AM to 4:45 PM Monday through Friday and can be contacted by calling (757) 890-4103.

*Hopkins, Garland Evans. ''York County Source Book; Includes a Brief History of Colonial York County, Virginia; Petitions to the General Assembly from 1776 to 1858; and Guides to Source Materials Concerning the History and Genealogy of the County''. Winchester, Va.: Hopkins, 1942.&nbsp;{{FHL|1036407}} Item 25.

*Hopkins, Garland Evans. ''York County Source Book; Includes a Brief History of Colonial York County, Virginia; Petitions to the General Assembly from 1776 to 1858; and Guides to Source Materials Concerning the History and Genealogy of the County''. Winchester, Va.: Hopkins, 1942.&nbsp;{{FHL|1036407}} Item 25.

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*Tyler, Lyon G. "Old Tombstones in York and James City Counties," ''The William and Mary Quarterly,'' Vol. 2, No. 2 (Oct. 1893):78-86. Digital version at [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1920128 JSTOR] - free.

==== Census ====

==== Census ====

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:#Zion Prospect Baptist Church

:#Zion Prospect Baptist Church

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{{VAbap}}

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{{VAbap}}

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York County fell within the bounds of the Dover Association.

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York County fell within the bounds of the Dover Association.

===== Church of England =====

===== Church of England =====

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Also known as Anglicans, later Protestant Episcopal

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Also known as Anglicans, later Protestant Episcopal

<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Blisland Parish, Virginia|Blisland Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Bruton Parish, Virginia|Bruton Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Charles Parish, Virginia|Charles Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Charles River Parish, Virginia|Charles River Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Chiskiack Parish, Virginia|Chiskiack Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Hampton Parish, Virginia|Hampton Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Marston Parish, Virginia|Marston Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Middle Plantation Parish, Virginia|Middle Plantation]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Middletowne Parish, Virginia|Middletowne Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[New Poquoson Parish, Virginia|New Poquoson Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[York Parish, Virginia|York Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Yorkhampton Parish, Virginia|Yorkhampton Parish]]<br>

<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Blisland Parish, Virginia|Blisland Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Bruton Parish, Virginia|Bruton Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Charles Parish, Virginia|Charles Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Charles River Parish, Virginia|Charles River Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Chiskiack Parish, Virginia|Chiskiack Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Hampton Parish, Virginia|Hampton Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Marston Parish, Virginia|Marston Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Middle Plantation Parish, Virginia|Middle Plantation]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Middletowne Parish, Virginia|Middletowne Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[New Poquoson Parish, Virginia|New Poquoson Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[York Parish, Virginia|York Parish]]<br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Yorkhampton Parish, Virginia|Yorkhampton Parish]]<br>

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:#Mason, George Carrington. ''Colonial Churches of Tidewater Virginia''. Richmond, Virginia: Whittet &amp; Shepperson, 1945. Available at {{FHL|92828|title-id|disp=FHL}}; digital version at [http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/u?/FH28,36029 BYU Family History Archives]. [Includes York County.]

[[Image:Yorktowncustomhouse.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]Yorktown has been a port since colonial times. No official passenger lists survive for the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries. The Custom House, built in 1715, was the oldest brick building standing in Yorktown in 1915.<br>

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[[Image:Yorktowncustomhouse.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]Yorktown has been a port since colonial times. No official passenger lists survive for the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries. The Custom House, built about 1720, is the oldest brick building standing in Yorktown.<ref>Robert A. Lancaster, ''Historic Virginia Homes and Churches'' (Philadelphia and London: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1915), 34. Digitized by [http://archive.org/stream/historicvirginia00lanc#page/34/mode/2up Internet Archive]; "The Custom House," ''York County Historical Committee,'' http://www.yorkcounty.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=7256, accessed 3 July 2012.</ref><br><br>

*Nugent, Nell Marion. ''Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants 1623-1666''. Vol. I (1934; reprint, Baltimore:&nbsp;Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1991). Available at {{FHL|160644|title-id|disp=FHL}}; digital version at [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=48408 Ancestry] ($). [Includes York County. N.B. If Ancestry's search engine fails, try checking the printed index at the end of the book.]

*Nugent, Nell Marion. ''Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants 1623-1666''. Vol. I (1934; reprint, Baltimore:&nbsp;Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1991). Available at {{FHL|160644|title-id|disp=FHL}}; digital version at [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=48408 Ancestry] ($). [Includes York County. N.B. If Ancestry's search engine fails, try checking the printed index at the end of the book.]

*June 10, 1861 = [http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/va003.htm Big Bethel], also known as Bethel Church and Great Bethel<ref>Heritage Preservation Services,[http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/va003.htm Civil War Battle Summaries by State], (accessed 2 August 2012)</ref>

Indexed images of the [http://research.history.org/DigitalLibrary/BrowseVG.cfm Virginia Gazette ](1736-1780) are available online through the [http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/ Colonial Williamsburg ]website. In addition, Professor Tom Costa and The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia have created a database of all runaway advertisements for slaves, indentured servants, transported convicts, and ship deserters listed in this source and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803), see: [http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/gos/ The Geography of Slavery in Virginia]. These newspapers are valuable resources for all regions of Virginia.

Indexed images of the [http://research.history.org/DigitalLibrary/BrowseVG.cfm Virginia Gazette ](1736-1780) are available online through the [http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/ Colonial Williamsburg ]website. In addition, Professor Tom Costa and The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia have created a database of all runaway advertisements for slaves, indentured servants, transported convicts, and ship deserters listed in this source and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803), see: [http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/gos/ The Geography of Slavery in Virginia]. These newspapers are valuable resources for all regions of Virginia.

[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[{{PAGENAME}}#Bible_Records|Bible Records]]

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{{Tip|For birth, marriage, and death record substitutes, see [[{{PAGENAME}}#Bible Records|Bible Records]], [[{{PAGENAME}}#Cemeteries|Cemeteries]], [[{{PAGENAME}}#Church History and Records|Church History and Records]], [[{{PAGENAME}}#Newspapers|Newspapers]], and [[{{PAGENAME}}#Probate Records|Probate Records]].}}

Revision as of 22:27, 15 February 2013

York County, Virginia genealogy and family history research page. Guide to York County (established 1643) genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, Revolutionary War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

Dorman, John Frederick. "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: York County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 25, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1981):51-53. Available at American Ancestors ($).

Hopkins, Garland Evans. York County Source Book; Includes a Brief History of Colonial York County, Virginia; Petitions to the General Assembly from 1776 to 1858; and Guides to Source Materials Concerning the History and Genealogy of the County. Winchester, Va.: Hopkins, 1942. FHL 1036407 Item 25.

Church History and Records

Baptist

The 10,000 name petition (dated 16 October 1776) has been digitized at the Library of Congress website. It was signed by people from all over Virginia who wanted an end to persecution of Baptists by the Established Church. Baptists and Baptist sympathizers alike signed the petition. To find your ancestor in this record, first check Hall's transcription in the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy (Vols. 35-38, with annotations in Vol. 39), which is available online at Ancestry ($). It is also available in book form at the Family History Library: FHL Book 975.5 B2vs v. 35-39. Then proceed to the Library of Congress website to see the original images.

Fleet, Beverley. York County, 1633-1646. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1961. Available at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes York County Records; Deeds, Orders, Wills, Etc. No. 1 and No. 2; Record Book No. 2.]

Fleet, Beverley. York County, 1648-1657. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1961. Available at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes abstracts of Record Book No. 2 (1648), Record Book No. 1 (1652-1657), and Record Book No. 3 (1657).]

Genealogy

More than 275 genealogies have been published about York County families. To view a list, visit York County, Virginia Genealogy.

Immigration

Yorktown has been a port since colonial times. No official passenger lists survive for the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries. The Custom House, built about 1720, is the oldest brick building standing in Yorktown.[8]

Headright grants identify many York County, Virginia Genealogy immigrants who arrived before 1720.[9] The Virginia Immigration article provides tips about using this source.

Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of Brewerton Parish, York River, York Town [Yorktown], and York County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]

Land and Property

Fleet, Beverley. York County, 1633-1646. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1961. Available at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes York County Records; Deeds, Orders, Wills, Etc. No. 1 and No. 2; Record Book No. 2.]

Grants and Patents

Land patents (pre-1779), land grants (after 1779) and surveys are available online at the Library of Virginia website. For step-by-step instructions on retrieving these records, read the Virginia Land and Property article.

Nugent, Nell Marion. Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants 1623-1666. Vol. I (1934; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1991). Available at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes York County. N.B. If Ancestry's search engine fails, try checking the printed index at the end of the book.]

Maps

Military

Colonial Militia

Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at FHL. [Identifies some York County militia officers and/or soldiers; see place name index.]

Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. Available at FHL; digital version at Google Books. [Includes a chapter titled "Legislative Enactments connecting the preceding historic sketch [French and Indian War, Lord Dunmore's War] with the adjudication of the resulting accounts that follow; with the list of officers, soldiers and civilians entitled to compensation for military and other services rendered." For York County, see p. 102.]

Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at FHL; digital book at Ancestry ($). [Identifies some York County militia officers; see place name index.]

French and Indian War

Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at FHL. [Identifies some York County militia officers, soldier enlistments, and veterans; see place name index.]

Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at FHL; digital book at Ancestry ($). [Identifies some York County militia officers; see place name index.]

Revolutionary War

Public Losses in York County from the Invasions of the Enemy in 1781 Virginia Pioneers

War of 1812

List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. FHL Collection 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Virginia, York County, p. 108. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War

Regiments. Service men in York County, Virginia Genealogy served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in York County, Virginia Genealogy:

1909 York County Confederate Pension List, available online, courtesy: VAGenWeb.

Civil War Battles

The following Civil War battles were fought in York County.

June 10, 1861 = Big Bethel, also known as Bethel Church and Great Bethel[11]

Newspapers

Indexed images of the Virginia Gazette (1736-1780) are available online through the Colonial Williamsburg website. In addition, Professor Tom Costa and The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia have created a database of all runaway advertisements for slaves, indentured servants, transported convicts, and ship deserters listed in this source and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803), see: The Geography of Slavery in Virginia. These newspapers are valuable resources for all regions of Virginia.

Occupations

Cutten, George Barton. The Silversmiths of Virginia (together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. Richmond, Va.: The Dietz Press, Incorporated, 1952. Available at FHL. [Includes a section on Yorktown silversmiths.]

Probate Records

A free index to York County, Virginia Genealogy wills and administrations (1633-1811) is available at the Library of Virginia website.

Local Court

Fleet, Beverley. York County, 1633-1646. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1961. Available at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes York County Records; Deeds, Orders, Wills, Etc. No. 1 and No. 2; Record Book No. 2.]

Hopkins, William Lindsay. Some Wills from the Burned Counties of Virginia and Other Wills Not Listed in Virginia Wills and Administrations 1632-1800. Richmond, Virginia: W.L. Hopkins, 1987. Available at FHL. [Includes York County.]

Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of Brewerton Parish, York River, York Town [Yorktown], and York County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]

[1763] "Tithables in York-Hampton Parish, York County, Va.," Tyler's Quarterly Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Vol. 7(1926):179-185. Available at FHL; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983, which is also available at FHL. [The source for this publication is a tithable list published in 1763. Could it, perhaps, record tithables from a year or two before that time?]

[1784] Fothergill, Augusta B. and John Mark Naugle. Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87, Other Than Those Published by the United States Census Bureau. 1940; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1978. Available at FHL. [1784 personal property tax list of York County.]

[1786, 1788] Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 & 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 & Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle & Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. Available at FHL. [Sources for this publication are the York County 1788 personal property tax list, the York Town 1788 personal property tax list, and partial York County 1786 personal property tax list (individuals who do not appear on 1788 list were abstracted). York County is included in Vol. 2.]

[1815] Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at FHL. [The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. York County is included in Vol. 3.]

Vital Record Substitutes

The Virginia Historical Society's Marriage and Obituary Index, 1736-1820 (newspaper abstracts) is available for free online. Images of the original index cards are browseable, arranged alphabetically by surname.